Electric food toaster



Aug. 12, 1969 J. T. WILLIAMS 3 ,2

ELECTRIC FOOD TOAS'I'E'R Original Filed Oct. 22, 1965 e Sheets-Sheet 1 75 2&6 79 7 10 24 274 274 //7 21 27 k war-2'7 2/ //\/\/EA/rok g- 1969 J.1'. WILLIAMS ELECTRIC FOOD TOASTER 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct.22, 1965 Aug. 12, 1969 J. 'r. WILLIAMS ELECTRIC FOOD TOASTER 6Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Oct. 22, 1965 A g 2. 1969 J. T. WILLIAMS3,461,274

7 ELECTRIC FOOD TOASTER Original Filed 0ct.'22, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 9?H Sui m1 minim.

um QR m 3% M44455 mil/4M5 8- 1959 J. T. WILLIAMS 3,461,274

ELECTRIC FOOD TOASTER Original Filed Oct. 22, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6United States Patent 3,461,274 ELECTRIC FOOD TOASTER James T. Williams,Downers Grove, Ill., assignor to Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Original application Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No.502,645, now Patent No. 3,392,663, dated July 16, 1968. Divided and thisapplication July 12, 1967, Ser. No. 652,777

Int. Cl. H0511 3 26'; A47j 37/08 US. Cl. 542-219 7 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE An electric toaster with a heating element having aresistance wire which zigzags across one face of an insulating form. Astaple is positioned at the end of each wire span to hold the wire tothe form. Glass side walls of the toaster housing are held in positionby spring biasing means.

This application is a division of copending application Ser. No.502,645, filed Oct. 22, 1965, which matured into Patent No. 3,392,663.

The present invention relates to electric toasters and, moreparticularly, to electric toasters of the automatic or semiautomatictype wherein the time interval during which a bread slice is toasted isselectively and automatically controlled to provide for uniform toastingaction of successive bread slices placed in the toaster.

Most automatic toasters of the type described include complicated andcostly mechanisms for controlling the toasting action on bread slicesplaced in the toaster. Generally, these toasters include an arrangementwherein bread slices are inserted into the toaster and are supported ona movable toast carriage disposed between opposed facing heatingelements of a toasting chamber. The toast carriage is then eithermanually or automatically moved to a toasting position wherein the breadis toasted to a selected degree or color and the carriage is thenreleased automatically at the end of a toasting interval to moveupwardly in a pop-up action to a position wherein the bread can beremoved from the toaster for consumption.

One of the problems associated with previous toasters of the typedescribed is that of obtaining a uniform selected degree of toasting ofsuccessive bread slices placed in the toaster, even though ambienttemperature conditions in the toaster change from time to time after thetoasting of the initial bread slice placed in the toaster. Anotherproblem is to provide heating elements for the toaster which toast thesurface of the bread evenly and uniformly without developing hot spotsorlines or areas of uneven toasting on the bread surface. Anotherproblem of previous toasters is in providing a latching mechanism formaintaining the toast carriage in a toasting position which is foolproofin operation and easily releasable at the end of a toasting cycle.Another problem is in providing a toaster which is economical tomanufacture, compact in size, light in weight, and foolproof anddependable in operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a newand improved electric toaster.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved electric toaster which eliminates, or greatly reduces, theabove-mentioned problems.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide anew and improved compact, low cost, neat-in-appearance, electric toasterwhich is easy to assemble and disassemble for servicing, which requiresa minimum number of parts, and which lends itself readily toward ease inmass production and uniform quality standards.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved, highly compact electric toaster having an outer enclosurewhich is neat in appearance and which can be easily and rapidlydisassembled to expose the internal structure of the toaster forservicing.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved electric heating element for a toaster which is simple tomanufacture, low in cost, and which is not subject to the aforementioneddifficulties of providing hot spots or uneven toasting action.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved heating element for a toaster wherein the heating wire onexpansion does not sag or bulge away from the face of the supportinginsulating form.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a newand improved electric toaster having new and improved means for holdingthe bread carriage in a toasting position and releasing the carriageafter a toasting cycle is completed.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved automatic means for controlling the toasting action on thebread slices to obtain uniformity even though ambient temperatureconditions within the toaster do change between successive toastingcycles.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a newand improved electric toaster wherein the automatic means forcontrolling the toasting interval is directly responsive to thecondition of the bread slice being toasted.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedelectric toaster having a new and improved system for controlling thetoasting action whereby the toast carriage is easily released from thetoasting position at the completion of a selectively adjustable toastingcycle.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds, and the features ofnovelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisspecification.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference should behad to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with thedrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new and improved toaster constructedin accordance with the features of the present invention, with the toastcarriage in its upper, or normal, nontoasting position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, transverse, sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2,assuming that FIG. 2 shows the entire structure;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 3,assuming that FIG. 3 shows the entire structure;

FIG. 5 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially along line5-5 of FIG. 4, assuming that FIG. 4 shows the complete structure;

FIG. 6 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially along line 66of FIG. 4, again assuming that FIG. 4 shows the complete structure;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 77 of FIG. 3,assuming, of course, that FIG. 3 shows the entire structure;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially along line88 of FIG. 3 and illustrating the thermally responsive control mechanismof the toaster;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 9-9 of FIG. 4,again assuming that FIG. 4 shows the complete structure;

FIG. 10 is a transverse, sectional view quite similar to FIG. 2 takensubstantially along line 10-10 of FIG. 4, again assuming that FIG. 4shows the complete structure, but illustrating the toast supportingcarriage in its lower or toasting position;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 11-11 of FIG. 6, assuming that FIG. 6 shows the entireconstruction;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially along line1212 of FIG. 4, again assuming that FIG. 4 shows the complete structure,and illustrating in detail the hinge support means of the crumb tray;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 1313 of FIG. 2, assuming that FIG. 2 shows the completestructure, and illustrating in detail the color control selecting meansof the toaster;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 14-14 of FIG. 2, again assuming that FIG. 2 shows thecomplete structure, and illustrating in detail a portion of the toastcarriage latching means of the toaster;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 15-15 of FIG. 2, again assuming that FIG. 2 shows thecomplete structure, and illustrating in detail another portion of thetoast carriage latching means of the toaster;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 16-16 of FIG. 2, again assuming that FIG. 2 shows thecomplete structure, and illustrating in detail another aspect of thetoast carriage latching means of the toaster;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 1717 of FIG. 7, assuming that FIG. 7 shows the completestructure, and illustrating in detail the construction of a heatingelement of the toaster;

FIG. 17a is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially alonglines 17a17a of FIG. 17, assuming that FIG. 17 shows the completestructure; and

FIG. 18 in an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 18-18 of FIG. 7, again assuming that FIG. 7 shows thecomplete structure and illustrating in detail the construction of aterminal end of the heating element of the toaster.

Briefly, the foregoing and other objects and advantages of the presentinvention are accomplished by providing an electric toaster comprising aframe structure and a toast carriage movable between a pair of opposed,facing, heating elements carried on said frame between a normal or uppernontoasting position and a lower toasting position. Bread slices areplaced upon the toast carriage which is then moved downwardly to thetoasting position wherein opposite sides of the bread slice are exposedto the heating elements for toasting. Dashpot means interconnecting themovable toast carriage and the frame is mounted at one end of the toastcarriage and comprises a cylinder having one closed end and a pistonmovable therein toward the closed end when the toast carriage is movedto the toasting position. The toast carriage is maintained or latched inthe toasting position by the suction action between the piston and theclosed end of the cylinder, and the carriage is released for movementback to the upper or normal position by admitting atmospheric air intothe lower end of the cylinder through a tube connected thereto.

The tube is normally maintained in a pinched-off or closed condition bya biased pinching member which is connected to a thermally responsivecontrol element positioned to contact the bread slice placed in thetoasting position on the carriage. As the bread slice is toasted, thethermally responsive element expands in accordance with the toastingaction thereon and, after a selected amount of expansion, the elementovercomes the biasing force on the pinching member releasing thepinching contact on the tube and permitting the toast carriage to rise,terminating the toasting cycle.

Another feature of the present invention includes the heating units ofthe toaster which are construtced in a unique and greatly simplifiedmanner over those of previous toasters. The heating panels each comprisea thin, fiat sheet or card of insulating material on which are secureddivergent, straight spans of a continuous electric resistive heatingwire. Each span is secured on the face of the insulating form in aunique manner, with staples which overlie one span and underlie the nextadjacent one, thus permitting the spans to be patterned on the form in amuch simpler manner.

Other novel features of the toaster will become apparent from thefollowing, more detailed description, and these include theinterrelating functional aspects of the color control system andcarriage latching and release mechanism.

Referring now, more specifically, to the drawings, there is illustrateda new and improved electric toaster constructed in accordance with thefeatures of the present invention and referred to generally by thereference numeral 20. The toaster 20 includes an outer enclosure orhousing mounted on a base 21 which is preferably formed of heatinsulating material, such as a molded phenolic resin. The base 21 issupported on a plurality of short legs 22 extending downwardly therefromand secured to the base with suitable fasteners, such as downwardlyextending screws 23 (FIGS. 2 and 6).

The outer enclosure, or housing, of the toaster is boxlike in appearanceand comprises an outer shell 24 of inverted U-shaped configuration(FIGS. 1, 4, and 7), a pair of side panels 25 and 26 preferably formedof decorative insulating glass or the like, and a bottom panel 27. Theshell 24 is integrally formed from a single piece of material andincludes a top panel 24a, a control end panel 24b, and an opposite endpanel 240. The assembled housing, including the shell 24 and bottompanel 27, is secured in position on the support base 21 by a pluralityof screws 28 (FIGS. 4, 7, 9 and 10) which extend upwardly through thebase and are threaded into the bottom panel 27. The bottom panel restsupon a plurality of upwardly extending, short, tubular, supportingbosses 21a and 21b formed on the upper surface of the base 21 andintegral therewith to permit air ventilation between the bottom paneland the base, as shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10. The screws 28extend upwardly through the centers of the tubular bosses 21a.

In order to limit the outward movement of the glass side panels 25 and26 and to provide a decorative trim or frame along the edges thereof,the bottom panel 27 is formed with a pair of upwardly extending sideflanges 27a which bear against the outer faces of the side panels. Thetop and end panels of the shell 24 are each formed with a pair ofinturned side flanges 24d which, together with the flanges 27a, formrectangular peripheral frames around the edges of the respective sidepanels, as shown in FIG. 1. The shell is secured to the bottom panel 27by a plurality of screws 29 (FIGS. 2, 7, and 9) extending upwardlythrough a pair of inturned, horizontally disposed, bottom flanges 24e(FIG. 9) formed at the lower end of the end panels 24b and 24c,respectively, and the bottom panel 27 is provided with upstanding endflanges 271) at opposite ends thereof to bear against the inner surfacesof the respective end panels of the shell when the shell is in assembledposition thereon.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the entire toaster housing andinternal structure carried therein, can be easily separated from thebase 21 by loosening the screws 28, and, once the housing is removedfrom the base, it can be easily disassembled by loosening the screws 29which secure the shell 24 to the bottom panel 27. Once the shell isseparated from the bottom panel, the insulating and decorative sidepanels 25 and 26 can be removed and the internal structure of thetoaster is then completely exposed for servicing or replacement ofparts.

To permit vertical movement of a carriage described hereinafter, acarriage actuating arm 31 (FIG. 4) extends outside the housing,described above, through a vertically extending slot 30 (FIG. 1) definedin the end panel 24b. The portion of arm 31 which projects outwardlythrough the control end panel 24b is provided with a removable knob 32to facilitate grasping by the operator and thus permits the operatormanually to move the toast carriage of the toaster. The panel 24b isalso formed with an aperture 33 (FIG. 13) to permit the outwardprojection of a control shaft 34 for the color control mechanism of thetoaster described hereinafter, and a removable, fluted, control knob 35is carried on the outer end of the shaft. The knob 35 is rotatablebetween selected positions to select the desired toasting action on thebread slices, as will be more fully explained hereinafter, and asuitable escutcheon plate or dial 36 with appropriate markings thereon,such as Dark and Light, is aflixed to the end panel 2412 around theaperture 33 to aid the operator in making selections with the knob.

In order to permit bread slices to be inserted into the toaster fortoasting, the top panel 24a of the shell 24 is formed with a pair ofspaced, elongated bread-receiving slots 37 and 38 (FIG. 1) which definethe entrance to and overlie a pair of toasting chambers 39 and 40 (FIGS.1, 5, and 9) within the housing. The longitudinal edges of the slots 37and 38 are defined by pairs of downwardly depending edge flanges 24 andthe ends of the slots are defined by downwardly depending end flanges24g (FIGS. 1, 4, 5, and 7). These depending flanges are integrallyformed on the shell and aid in interlocking the shell with the toastingchamber structure interiorly of the toaster housing when the shell is inan assembled position on the bottom panel 27.

The toasting chambers 39 and 40 are generally parallel to one anotherand extend vertically upward between the bottom panel 27 and the toppanel 24a in order to accommodate a pair of vertically upstanding breadslices which are placed therein for toasting. Outer sidewalls of thetoasting chambers are formed by a pair of substantially identical,upstanding, heating, panel supporting frame structures 41, and the innersidewalls of the toasting chambers are formed by the opposite faces of acommon, centrally disposed, upstanding, heating, panel support framestructure 42 (FIGS. 3, 5, and 11). Each outer frame 41 is integrallyformed from a single piece of sheet metal by a stamping operation andcarries a heating panel 43 for toasting one side of an adjacent breadslice placed in the toaster. The central frame 42 is also integrallyformed from a single piece of sheet metal by a stamping operation andsupports a single central heating panel 44 having resistive heating wireon both sides thereof for toasting both inside faces of the bread slicesplaced in the toasting chambers 39 and 40.

The stamped metal frames 41 and 42 each includes a continuous peripheryand a plurality of cross members, all integrally formed from a piece offlat sheet metal. The frames 41 are formed with horizontally disposedtop and bottom members 41a and 4112, respectively, joined at their endsto a pair of vertically upstanding side members 41c having wide,inwardly extending flanges 41d which comprise the end walls of therespective toasting chambers 39 and 40 (FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 11).Intermediate, and parallel to, the side members 410 are formed aplurality of spaced-apart, bread guiding ribs 41e (FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 7)integrally joined at their upper and lower ends to the top and bottommembers 41a and 41b. The top and bottom members are L-shaped in crosssection and include outwardly extending horizontally disposed flanges41f and 41g, respectively, for spacing the heating panels with respectto the inner edges of the bread guiding ribs 41a. The ribs 41e arenarrow, relatively thin, flat strips with the planes of the stripsarranged to lie perpendicularly to the faces of the adjacent breadslices, as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Each frame 41 alsoincludes a centrally disposed spacer rib 41h (FIGS. 3 and 5) parallel tothe ribs 41c, and positioned with its outer edge facing the innersurface of the heating panel 43 to prevent the panel from bowing ormoving inwardly to any great extent toward the bread slice in theadjacent toasting chamber.

The flanges 41g of the frames 41 are supported on the bottom panel 27 ofthe toaster, and the frames are secured thereto by downwardly projectingbend tabs 41: formed at the lower ends of the side member flanges 41d toextend through narrow slits 45 in the bottom panel 27, as best shown inFIG. 9. The upper portions of the frames 41 are interlocked with theshell 24 when it is in an assembled position by the engagement betweenthe downturned flanges 24 and small notches 46 formed in the breadguiding ribs Me, as best shown in FIG. 5, and this engagement preventslateral movement of the upper portion of the frames, once the shell isin place. The flanges 24g of the shell abut the side member flanges 41dof the frames, as best shown in FIG. 4, to prevent longitudinal movementbetween shell and frames.

The single central heating panel frame 42 includes horizontally disposedtop and bottom members 42a and 42b, respectively, joined at their endsby a pair of vertically upstanding side members 42c. Intermediate andparallel to the side members 420 are formed two groups of spaced-apart,bread guiding ribs 42d and 42e (FIGS. 3 and 5). The outer edges of theribs 42d are disposed to face the toasting chamber 39, and the outeredges of the ribs 42e face in an opposite direction toward the toastingchamber 40, as best shown in FIG. 5. The ribs are narrow, relativelythin, flat strips arranged with the plane of the strips lyingperpendicular to the faces of the bread slices in the toasting chambersand are formed with a plurality of spacing lugs 42] extending inwardlythereof to bear against the opposite faces of the centrally disposedheating panel 44, as shown best in FIG. 5.

The bottom member 42b of the central frame rests upon the bottom panel27 and is formed with a pair of downwardly extending bend tabs 42g atopposite ends thereof, which extend through suitable slots 47 in thebottom panel to secure the frame in place, as best shown in FIG. 9. Theupper portion of the central frame 42 is maintained in proper spacedrelation between the outer frames 41 and is prevented from lateralmovement by interlocking engagement between the downturned flanges 24 ofthe shell and the top member 42a of the frame, as best shown in FIG. 5.

After the shell 24 is assembled to the bottom panel 27, the frames 41and 42 are interlocked with the shell, as described, to prevent lateralmovements of the frames within the housing. The glass side panels 25 and26 are maintained in upright vertical positions and are biased outwardlyagainst the flanges 24d and 27a of the shell and bottom panel by meansof spring clips 48 attached to the side member flanges 41d of the frames41, as best shown in FIG. 6. Preferably, the clip members are riveted tothe flanges 41d, and each includes a pair of outwardly extending springfingers 48a and 48b which bear resiliently against the inside surfaceglass side panels.

The heating panels 43 comprise a thin, flat sheet or cardlike formconstructed of heat resistant, insulating material, such as mica or thelike, and on which is secured a continuous length of flat, ribbonlike,electric resistance heating wire 49. The heating wire is laid in azigzag pattern across the face of the panel, forming a plurality ofstraight, divergent spans 49a extending in generally horizontaldirections back and forth from one side of the panel to the other, asbest shown in FIG. 7. The end of one span is continuous with the end ofthe next adjacent span, and the spans are formed by looping the wirearound the central or bight portions 50a of small wire staples 50 (FIGS.7 and 17) which secure the wire spans to the heating faces of thepanels. The bight portions 50a of the staples are spaced outwardly ofthe outer faces of the panels 43 (as clearly shown in FIG. 17a) topermit the spans 49a to expand longitudinally on the panel duringheating and contract after heating, as indicated by the arrows (FIGS. 17and 18). The staples 50 are spaced vertically apart and are arranged intwo vertical rows along the opposite sides of the panel with the bightportions of the staples extending generally transversely of the spansand the staple legs extending through the panels and clinched or bentover on the other side. Only a single staple is required to secure theends of two adjacent spans 49a with the bight portion of the stapleoverlying one of the spans and underlying the other span. Accordingly,as the spans lengthen slightly during a heating period, they do not tendto bulge away from the cards to any great extent and, consequently,fewer hot spots develop which would cause uneven heating or burning ofthe toast slices. The mica panels 43 are made up of at least two layersof mica paper (FIG. 17), and the layer adjacent the heating wire expandsas the wire is heated while the layer on the back side is relativelyunaffected thereby, causing a bowing action in the panel. The bowingaction of the panel aids in preventing the wire spans from bulging orsagging away from the face of the panel during heating and helps toeliminate hot spots and uneven toasting action.

One of the important advantages of the heating panel construction of thepresent invention is that by using staples 50 to secure the ends ofadjacent spans of heating wire 49a to the panel it is possible to adjustthe length of the spans to provide the selected wattage or heatingdesired. Heating ribbon wire is obtained from manufacturers in largelots and the characteristics of the wire may vary from lot to lot.Accordingly, the spans 49a can be shortened or lengthened as desired byproper spacing of the staples 50 on the panel. For example, if a lot ofheating wire having a relatively high resistivity per unit length isobtained, the spans 49a are shortened in length and this is readilyaccomplished by moving the staples 50 inwardly from the edges of thepanels to conform. Conversely, if the spans 49a are longer, the staples50 are moved outwardly toward the edges of the panel to take up theadditional length of the spans. This greatly simplifies the constructionof the heating elements and facilitates uniformity in heatingcharacteristics, even though the heating wire characteristics may varyslightly from lot to lot.

In order to support the central portions of the heating wire spans 49aand prevent any appreciable sagging or bulging thereof away from thepanel face, a vertical, centrally disposed strip 51 (FIG. 7) of micainsulating material is stapled to the panel 43 with staples 52 tooverlie the spans and hold them in position. The upper and lower heatingwire spans 49a are joined with terminal tabs 49!) which extend outwardlyfrom the right-hand edge of the panel 43, as best shown in FIG. 7. Theterminal tabs are continuous with the heating wire 49 and are looped, asshown in FIGS. 11 and 18, with the inner end of the loops loosely heldin place on the panel by staples 53 located inwardly of the end staples50. This construction greatly simplifies the termination of the heatingelements because an extended length or tab of the heating wire itselfforms the terminal element, and only an extra staple 53 is required tocomplete the termination. Previous terminal constructions utilizedeyelets, solder joints, separate terminal lugs, etc., and, accordingly,are much more complicated and expensive. The staples 53 loosely hold thespans 49a and terminal tabs 49b and do not interfere with thelongitudinal expansion thereof during heating.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the heating wire 49 can beeasily and rapidly secured to the panels 43 with the staples 50, 52, and53 and strips 51, and construction of the heating elements isappreciably simplified over previous constructions. Sagging or bulgingof the wire spans 49a is greatly reduced or eliminated, and hot spotsand uneven toasting of the bread slices are reduced thereby.

The panels 43 are secured to the metal frames 41 by a plurality of upperand lower tabs 43a (FIGS. 7 and 9) formed to extend slightly above andbelow the upper and lower edges, respectively, of the panels, and thesetabs are seated in recesses 4lj (FIGS. 3 and 7) formed in thehorizontally disposed flanges of the upper and lower frame members 41aand 41b. The lower tabs 43a extend downwardly, slightly below the lowerframe members 41b and are accommodated in elongated slots 54 formed inthe bottom panel 27 (FIG. 9). After the tabs 43a are seated within therecesses 41j of the frame, short bend tabs 41k are displaced (as bestshown in FIG. 7) to hold the cards securely in place on their respectiveframes.

Because both side faces of the central heating panel 44 are heated, thetoaster can be more compact in width than if two panels were used and,accordingly, the single, central panel is constructed somewhatdifferently than the outer panels 43. Preferably, the panel 44 is formedof a single layer comprising a thin, flat sheet of mica insulatingmaterial and a continuous length of heating wire 55 is strung acrossopposite faces of the panel, as best shown in FIG. 4. The panel 44 isformed with spacedapart notches 56 along opposite side edges thereof(FIG. 4), and the heating wire 55 is strung across one face and then theopposite face to form spans 55a on both faces of the panel. Each panelface thus carries a plurality of vertically spaced spans 55a for heatingand toasting the surface of an adjacent bread slice. The notches 56provide the proper vertical spacing between the spans 55a, and terminaltabs 55b are formed to extend outwardly from the right-hand edge of thepanel 44 from the upper and lowermost spans in a manner similar to thoseof the panels 43. The terminal tabs 5512 are looped, as shown in FIG.11, and are held in place by a pair of staples 57 and 58. Additionalstaples 59 are spaced inwardly of the terminal tabs on the upper andlowermost spans 55a and a pair of centrally located vertical mica strips60 are stapled on both faces of the panel 44 with staples 61 to supportthe central portions of spans 55:: and prevent bulging or sagging of thespans away from the faces of the panel. The notches 56 permit the spans55a to expand longitudinally outward to'ward opposite edges of the panel44 without interference and, hence, bulging or sagging of the spansduring heating is reduced. The panel 44 is held in a sandwiched positionbetween the bread guiding ribs 42d and 42s on the central frame 42 bythe inwardly extending lugs 42 and the lower edge of the panel restsupon outwardly projecting lower portions 4211 of the ribs, as best shownin FIG. 5.

In order to support bread slices placed in the toasting chambers 39 and40 for toasting, the toaster includes a bread carriage 62 which ismovable vertically between an upper or normal position (FIGS. 2 and 4)and a lower or toasting position (FIG. 10). The bread carriage includesa pair of somewhat horizontally disposed bread supporting members 62aand 62b (FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 9) which extend into the respective toastingchamber 39 and 40 to support the lower edges of the bread slices placedtherein.

As viewed in FIG. 5, each of the bread supporting members 62a and 62bincludes an upper flange'on which a portion of the lower edge of a breadslice rests and a vertically disposed flange portion for stiffening themember. The vertical flanges of the bread supporting members 62a and62]) are generally U-shaped in side elevation (FIG. 4), and eachincludes a pair of upwardly extending end portions 620 and 62d disposedto extend outwardly from the opposite ends of the toasting chambers. Theend portions 620 are positioned for vertical sliding movement betweenthe edges of the heating panel frame end flanges 41d adjacent the panel24c of the toaster and are joined together externally of the flanges bya vertically extending channel segment 63 (FIG. 4) having a web 63a anda pair of horizontal flanges 63b. These end portions 620 are providedwith bend tabs 62e (FIGS. 3, 4, and 6) which extend through slots (notshown) in the web 6311 of the channel section 63, and the tabs areflattened over against the web (FIG. 6) to hold the channel section inplace.

The end portions 62d of the bread carriage are positioned for verticalsliding movement between the edges of the end flanges 41d adjacent thecontrol end panel 24b of the toaster and are joined together externallyof these flanges by an enlarged end support member 64 (FIGS. 2, 3, 4,and 10). The member 64 is generally channel-shaped and includes alargecentral web 64a and a pair of horizontal upper and lower flanges64b and 64c which extend outwardly toward the control end panel 24b ofthe toaster. The upright end portions 62d of the carriage include smallbend tabs 62 (FIG. 2) which extend through slots 65 provided in the web64a, and the tabs are flattened against the web to secure the supportmember to the- U-shaped bread supporting members 62a and 62b of thecarriage.

In order to mount the bread carriage for vertical movement in thetoaster, a vertical support post 66 is mounted adjacent the control endof the toaster to extend between the bottom wall 27 and one of severalhorizontal flanges 41m which are formed at the upper ends of end flanges41a. The support post 66 extends through circular flanged openings 64cand 64 (FIG. 2) formed in the upper and lower flanges 64b and 640 of thesupport member, and provides guiding support for the bread carriage asit is moved between upper and lower positions. Preferably, the carriageactuating arm 31 (previously described) is an integrally formed portionof the support member 64 extending outwardly from the web 64a and,accordingly, provides a convenient means for manual control of the breadcarriage in the toaster.

In order to bias and maintain the bread carriage 62 in the normal ornontoasting position (FIGS. 2 and 4), a carriage spring 67 is connectedbetween one of the flanges 41m and the lower end flange 64c of thecarriage support member 64. When the carriage is moved downward to thetoasting position (FIG. 10), the spring 67 is elongated, and when thecarriage is released, the spring automatically returns the carriage tothe normal position.

For the purpose of dampening the vertical movements of the breadcarriage 62 and holding the carriage in the lower toasting position, anupstanding dashpot assembly is interconnected between the movable breadcarriage and the bottom wall 27 of the toaster housing. The dashpotassembly includes a vertically mounted cylinder or tube 68 having anopen upper end and a closed lower end secured to the bottom panel 27(FIG. 13) and a piston 69 is disposed for movement in the cylinder. Thecylinder 68 is'provided with an opening or port 68a in the side, spacedupwardly a short distance from the lower end thereof. The piston isformed of rubber or other elastomeric material and is carried on thelower end of a depending piston rod 70, the upper end of which issecured to a small horizontal flange segment 64g (FIGS. 2 and 7) formedon the support member 64 of the bread carriage.

The piston 69 is somewhat cup-shaped (FIG; and has an outwardly taperedconical sidewall and an annular lip formed at the upper end thereof.When the piston moves downwardly in the cylinder 68, air within thecylinder is compressed and expelled through the port 68a and past theupper lip of the piston. Further movement of the piston below the portis at a retarded rate because all of the air must escape past the upperlip of the piston. When the piston moves upwardly in the cylinder, avacuum is drawn in the lower end of the cylinder and the upper lip ofthe piston is sealed against the internal wall of the cylinder by theair pressure above the piston. This feature permits the dashpot assemblyto serve as a holding or latching means for positively maintaining thebread carriage in the lower or toasting position after it has been movedinto this position. As the carriage 62 is moved to the toasting positionby a downward movement of the knob 32 on the actuating arm 31, thepiston 69 moves downwardly toward the bottom of the cylinder 68, and asthis occurs, the air within the lower or closed end of the cylinderescapes past the lip of the piston and through the port 68a to theatmosphere. After reaching the downward position, the atmospheric airpressure above the piston seals the lip against the cylinder wall andthe carriage is maintained in the lower toasting position by the vacuumin the lower end of the cylinder, even after the operator removes hishand and exerts no downward force from the knob 32. The atmospheric airpressure on the upper surface of the piston exerts enough downward forceto overcome the upward force of the carriage spring 67, and the carriageis thus maintained in the toasting position until air is admitted intothe closed end of the cylinder.

When air is admitted to the lower end of the cylinder, the pressurebegins to equalize on both sides of the piston 69 and the bias spring 67is effective to move the carriage upwardly to the upper position whereinthe toasted bread slices on the carriage can be readily removed from thetoaster by the operator. As the piston moves upwardly past the port 68a,air can more freely enter the cylinder below the piston and the pistonbegins to move upwardly at a faster rate.

For the purpose of controlling airflow into the closed end of thecylinder 68 and thus controlling the release of the carriage for upwardmovement at the end of a toasting cycle, the cylinder 68 is provided atits closed end with an inlet fitting 71 which serves as a mounting meansfor securing the cylinder to the bottom panel 27 (FIG. 15). The fitting71 extends downwardly through an opening 72 in the bottom panel 27 andis provided with a small diameter central passage 116 which is connectedto one end of a flexible tube or conduit 73. The other end of the tube73 is open and the body of the tube is looped under the bottom panel 27(FIGS. 4 and 12) and extends upwardly through an aperture 117 (FIG. 14)therein to rest against the outer surface of a movable end plate 74(FIG. 14) which forms a part of the thermostatic control unit of thetoaster.

The end plate 74 is connected to an L-shaped, thermostate supportbracket 75 (FIGS 3, 8, and 16) by means of an L-shaped, resilient springmember 76 having one leg 76a joined to the end plate and the other leg76b joined to a long leg 75a of the support bracket. The spring member76 biases the end plate 74 outwardly toward the control end panel 24b ofthe toaster, and the position of the end plate relative to the panel iscontrolled by the color selector knob 35. The long leg 75a of supportbracket 75 is mounted to extend along the bottom of the toasting chamber39 and is secured to the bottom panel 27 of the toaster by a pair oflugs 75b at the ends thereof (FIG. 8) which extend downwardly throughslotted openings 77 provided in the bottom panel (FIG. 9). The bracket75 also includes a short leg 75c facing and spaced inwardly of the endplate 74, and the short leg is secured to the bottom panel 27 by a lug75d (FIG. 2) which extends downwardly through a slotted opening 78 inthe bottom panel (FIG. 9).

In order to move the end' plate 74 toward and away from the control endpanel 24b, the color control selector shaft 34 is threadedly engagedwith the fixed short leg 75c of the thermostat support bracket, androtation of the shaft knob 35 moves the shaft axially with respect tothe end plate 74. The shaft is formed with an enlarged shoulderedportion 34a having an inner annular face 34b which bears against theouter surface of the movable end plate 74 and, by rotating the knob 35,the spacing D (FIG. 13) between the end plate 74 and the fixed leg 750can be selected as desired.

The open end of the tube 73 is loosely secured to the movable end plate74 by means of a small lip 74a (FIG. 14) having an opening 79 thereinthrough which the tube extends. The tube is normally maintained in aclosed or pinched-off condition by a spring clamping member 80 havingits upper end secured to the end plate 74 and an inturned lower lip 80awhich bears against the tube adj acent the open end thereof. Normally,air cannot enter the closed end of the dashpot cylinder 68 to releasethe carriage until the flexible tube 73 is allowed to open by movementof the lip 80a outwardly away from the tube toward the control end panel24b.

For the purpose of opening the tube 73 at the completion of a selectedtoasting cycle, an operator 81 is mounted adjacent the short leg 750 ofthe support bracket 75 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. Theoperator extends through a slotted opening 82 formed in the springmember 76 adjacent the junction of legs 76a and 76b thereof and bearsagainst the right-hand edge of the opening, as viewed in FIG. 16. Theoperator comprises an elongated leg 81a extending between the movableend plate 74 and the short leg 75c and has a lug 81b at the outer endthereof for engaging the clamping member 80 to open the tube 73. The lug81b has a rounded outer end (FIGS. 13 and 14) and extends through anopening 83 in the movable end plate 74 for contact with the clampingmember 80. The opposite end of the operator 81 is provided with a smalllug 810 (FIG. 16) which is connected to one end of a balance spring 84having an opposite end secured to the end of the leg 76b of the L-shaped spring member 76. The spring 84 biases the operator 81 in acounterclockwise direction (FIG. 16) so that the lug 81b will moveoutwardly into engagement with the clamping member 80 to release thepinching action on the tube 73.

In order to control the movements of the operator 81 in response to thetoasting action on a bread slice placed in the toaster, an expendablewire thermostatic element 85 is mounted to extend across the bottom ofthe toasting chamber 39. One end of the thermostat wire 85 is secured toan upstanding lug 75e on the far end of the long leg 75a of thethermostat support bracket 75 by means of screw 86 (FIG. 8) and theother end of the wire is secured to the operator 81 by a screw 87 (FIG.16). When the toast carriage 62 is moved to its lower toasting position,the lower edge of a bread slice in the chamber 39 rests directly on thethermostat wire 85 (FIG. and, hence, the wire element is directly incontact with and responsive to the temperature of the bread slice. Asthe bread slice is toasted, the temperature of the wire will increaseand the wire will expand or lengthen by an amount generally proportionalto the toasting action. The wire 85 exerts a force on the operator 81generally opposite to that of the balance spring 84 and biases theoperator in a clockwise direction (FIG. 16). As the wire expands inlength during a toasting cycle, this force is relaxed in proportion tothe temperature of the bread slice being toasted, and the balance springwill gradually move the operator in a counterclockwise direction untilthe lug 81b contacts the clamping member 80 and moves it outwardly awayfrom the tube 73, permitting air to enter the cylinder 68 and releasethe toast carriage to move upwardly and terminate the toasting cycle.

Because the thermostat wire 85 is in direct contact with the bread slicebeing toasted in chamber 39, its length is a true indication of thetemperature or toasting action on the slice, and, by rotation of thecolor control knob 35 to move the end plate to selected position, thedesired amount of toasting action can be selectively controlled. Whenthe knob 35 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the end plate74, under the influence of the L-shaped spring member 76, movesoutwardly toward the control end panel 24b of the toaster andaccordingly more movement of the lug 81b of the operator is necessary toopen the tube 73 and terminate the toasting cycle. Hence, a longertoasting cycle is required to expand the thermostat wire 85 enough topermit the operator 81 to open the tube. When the knob 35 is rotated ina clockwise direction, a shorter toasting cycle is selected because lessexpansion of the thermostat wire 85 is required to open the tube 52 andrelease the carriage. After the toasting cycle is completed, thethermostat wire contracts in length and moves the operator 81 in aclockwise direction against the spring 84 permitting the clamping memberto again pinch off or close the tube 73 in preparation for the nexttoasting cycle. The selector shaft 34 moves the end plate 74 inwardly oroutwardly with respect to the operator 81 and thereby controls theamount of movement required by the operator before the lug 81b contactsthe clamping member 80 to open the tube 73. The lengthening of the wire85 in response to the temperature or color of a bread slice duringheating in a toasting cycle permits the operator 81 to move outwardlytoward the end plate 74. Accordingly, if a larger spacing is selectedbetween the end plate and operator, more heating, or a long toastingcycle, is necessary and, hence, the bread is toasted to a greater degreeor darker color.

When the tube 73 is opened by the action of the thermostat wire 85, airenters the lower end of the cylinder 68 and the piston 69 and toastcarriage 62 begin to move upwardly at a relatively slow rate because ofthe small diameter and length of the tube 73. When the piston 69 hastraveled upwardly for a short distance (approximately /2") it passesabove the port 68a in the cylinder wall and air is freely admittedbeneath the piston. When this occurs, there is little restrictionagainst the upward movement of the piston and bread carriage, and theythen move more rapidly upward under the influence of the carriage spring67. If it is desired to manually release the carriage from its lowertoasting position, the knob 32 need only be moved upwardly until thepiston 69 is above the cylinder port 68a and then the carriage 62 willcontinue upwardly without further force being required.

When the carriage 62 is moved downwardly from the upper position toinitiate a toasting cycle, air beneath the piston 69 is forced out theport 68a in addition to bypassing the piston upwardly. However, as thepiston passes below the port, downward movement is slowed because theonly escape for the air below the piston is upwardly around the upperlip thereof.

The heating elements of the toaster include the wire spans 55a on bothsides of the central panel 44 and the wire spans 49a on the outer panels43. These heating elements are energized at the beginning of a toastingcycle and deenergized at the termination of the cycle in response to themovement of the carriage 62 between its normal position and its lowertoasting position. Preferably, the heating elements of the toaster arewired in series with the heating wire 55 on the central heating panel 44joined between the heating wires 49 on the outer panels 43 by a pair ofjumper wires 88 and 89 (FIG. 6) having heat-resistant insulationthereon.

The lower corner terminals 49b of the two outer heating elements areconnected to a pair of terminal contact members 90 and 91 (FIGS. 4, 7,and 11) which are mounted on an upstanding insulating terminal board 92(FIG. 6). The terminal board 92 is mounted on a U- shapcd bracket 93having a bottom web 93a secured to the bottom panel 27 of the toaster byupwardly extending screws 94.

Each of the terminal members 90 and 91 is secured to the inside face ofthe terminal board by a pair of spaced rivets or eyelets 95, and a pairof opposing terminal members 96 and 97 are riveted to the outside faceof the terminal board by single rivets 98 space-d in line with andbetween each pair of rivets 95 (FIG. 6). Electrical power is supplied tothe terminals 96 and 97 through an electrical power cord 99 having apair of conductors 99a and 99b therein. The power cord extends upwardlyinto the toaster through an opening 100 (FIG. 11) formed in the bottompanel 27, and an aligned opening 101 formed in the support base 21(FIGS. 4 and 6). A metal bushing 102 is secured between the bottom panel27 and the support base 21 to prevent fraying of the power cord, andshort lengths of insulating tubing 103 are provided on the individualconductors 99a and 99b to prevent possible short circuits to theadjacent metal portions of the toaster. The bushing 102 includes a pairof wing projections 102a at the upper end which seat in recesses 104formed in the bottom panel 27 adjacent the cord opening 100 to preventthe bushing from rotating.

Each of the conductors 99a and 99b in the power cord 99 is provided witha female end connector 105 which is adapted to be connected with one ofa pair of male prongs 96a and 97a formed on the outer terminals 96 and97, respectively. In order to disconnect the power cord 99 from theterminals 96 and 97, it is only necessary to slide the female endconnectors 105 off of their respective male prongs, and once this hasbeen accomplished, the housing of the toaster can be separated from thesupport base as previously described.

The terminal members 90 and 91 are substantially identical and includeelongated contact arms 90a and 91a formed of spring material havingcontact buttons 106 and 107 adjacent the outer ends thereof,respectively. The contact arms are formed with inwardly extendingactuating lugs 90b and 91b at the outer ends thereof, and the lugs haverounded inner ends facing the central portion of the toaster (FIG. 4).When an outward force is applied to the lugs 90b and 91b bydownwardmovement of the carriage 62, the contact arms are deflected outwardly sothat the buttons 106 and 107 thereon make connection with contactbuttons 108 and 109 mounted at the outer ends of elongated contact arms96b and 97b of the outer terminal members 96 and 97, respectively. Thepair of buttons 106 and 108 form one switch for connecting the conductor99a of the power cord to one end of series connected heating elements ofthe toaster, while the pair of buttons 107 and 109 form another switchfor connecting the power conductor 99b to the other end of the seriesconnected heating elements. Each pair of contact buttons is normally ina spaced-apart or open position, as shown in FIG. 11, and the contactarms 90a, 91a, 96b, and 97b maintain the contact buttons in opencondition until the arms 90m and 91a are deflected outwardly asdescribed.

In order to close both pairs of contact buttons for energizing theheating elements of the toaster, a switch actuator 110, comprising aflat sheet of insulating material is mounted to extend between theflanges 63b of the channel segment 63 at one end of the bread carriage62. When the bread carriage is in the upper or normal position, thechannel segment 63 is well above the actuating lugs 90b and 91b of theterminal members 90 and 91, and each pair of contact buttons is in anopen position (FIG. 11). When the carriage is then moved downwardly tothe toasting position, the switch actuator 110 moves into contact withthe lugs 90b and 91b, biasing the contact buttons 106 and 107 outwardlyinto contact with the contact buttons 108 and 109, respectively, andthereby closes the circuit to energize the heating elements. The heatingelements remain energized as long as the bread carriage 62 is in thelower or toasting position, and at the end of the toasting cycle, whenthe carriage is released to move upwardly, the actuator 110 movesupwardly out of engagement with the lugs 90b and 91b, and contactbetween each pair of contact buttons is broken as the springlike contactarms 90a and 91a move the buttons 106 and 107 back to the normally openposition.

In order to permit crumbs and toast particles to be removed from thetoasting chamber 39 and 40, the bottom panel 27 is formed with a pair ofelongated slots 111 (FIG. 9) arranged to underlie the respectivetoasting chambers. Downwar-dly depending stiffening flanges 270 areformed along the outside edges of the slots to direct and guide thefalling bread crumbs into an enlarged opening 112 (FIGS. 5, 7, and 8)formed in the support base 21 beneath both of the toasting chambers. Inorder to collect these crumbs, a crumb tray 113 is secured to thesupport base beneath the opening 112 for pivotal movement about a hingepin 114 (FIG. 12), the outer ends of which are secured to the base bythe screws 28. The crumb tray includes an elongated ventilation slot 115(FIG. 12) extending along the central axis thereof, and an upwardlyextending spring latch member 113a is formed at one end of the tray forengagement with a slotted latching flange 27d integrally formed toextend downwardly from the bottom panel (FIGS. 4 and 5). A downward pullon the latched end of the crumb tray disengages the latch member 113afrom the slotted flange 27d, permitting the tray to pivot downwardly forremoval of crumbs, and after the crumbs are removed the tray is pivotedupwardly until the upper end of the latch member is latched within theslotted flange 27d, as shown in FIG. 4.

From the foregoing detailed description, the construction and operationof the toaster of the present invention will be readily understood. Thetoaster is neat in appearance, compact, and light in weight and has acompletely new and unique means for selectively controlling the toastingcycle to provide uniformly controlled toasting action of the breadslices. The dashpot assembly of the present invention, in addition toits function in dampening toast carriage movements, serves as latchingmeans for holding the carriage in the toasting position and therebyeliminates costly and complicated latching mechanisms commonly found onother toasters. The control means is directly responsive to the toastingaction on the bread slice and the carriage latching and release means issimple and foolproof in operation.

While there has been illustrated and described in a single embodiment ofthe present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat numerous changes and modifications will occur, and it iscontemplated by the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. An electric heating element for a toaster comprising a flatelectrical insulating form having opposite faces, an electric resistancewire comprising a plurality of straight spans extending across one ofsaid faces, each of said spans continuously connected at one end to anadjacent span and a staple extending transversely across each span atone end thereof and extending through said form for securing said spansto said one face of said form, each staple includes a bight portionoverlying one span at the end thereof and underlying the end portion ofan adjacent interconnected span.

2. The heating element of claim 1 wherein said electric insulating formcomprises a panel formed of at least two layers of material with saidwire being contiguous to one of said layers whereby the heating of saidwire causes a bowing action in said panel for preventing said wire spansfrom sagging away from said one layer.

3. The heating element of claim 1 additionally including an insulatingstrip attached to said form by staples wherein said strip is centrallydisposed across each of said spans for securing the central portionsthereof to said form.

4. The heating element of claim 1 wherein said wire has an end spanterminating adjacent an edge of said panel, first staple means securingsaid end span to said panel, terminal means comprising a continuinglength of said wire connected to said end span and looped over saidstaple means, second staple means spaced inwardly on said panel fromsaid first staple means and loosely securing said terminal means to saidpanel, said terminalmeans including a portion looped around said secondstaple means and extending outwardly of said panel for connection to asource of electrical power.

5. The construction of claim 4 wherein said first and second staplemeans loosely secure said wire to said panel permitting longitudinalexpansion of said wire upon heatmg.

6. In a toaster comprising an outer enclosure having front, top, rearand bottom panel means, said panel means forming an inturned flangemeans on both sides of said enclosure, a glass panel disposed withinsaid enclosure at each side thereof and in engagement with said flangemeans, mechanism means in said enclosure including a toasting chamberhaving electric radiant heating means positioned on each side thereof,said top panel means being provided with slot means disposed above saidtoasting chamber whereby a slice of bread can be placed in the toastingchamber by inserting it into the slot means, said mechanism meansincluding spring means having resilient arms with curved portions, saidcurved portions engaging said glass panels and biasing them against saidflange means.

7. In the toaster of claim 6 wherein said flange means defining a sideopening, said glass panel having a periphery larger than said sideopening so that the periphery of said glass panel is not outwardlyvisible.

16 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,512,366 10/1924 Russell338-306 2,523,353 9/1950 Boester 338-280X 5 2,570,376 10/1951 Quist219-529 2,659,800 11/1953 Zander 338-280 2,782,289 2/1957 Nathason219-2l7X 1,524,193 1/1925 Mann 99 341 x 1,839,539 1/1932 Fageros 99- 32710 2,462,607 2/1949 Browne 219-521 2,659,799 11/1953 Ireland 2l9 542x2,747,072 5/1956 Lawser 219 521 2,940,481 6/1960 Hunter 140-93 153,361,053 1/1968 Jepson etal. 99 -329 3,392,663 7/1968 Williams 99-329OTHER REFERENCES VOLODYMYR Y. MAYEWSKI, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

